This week David Cameron did what many on the right of his party had wanted him to do for quite a while: he tore up a commitment to match Labour's 2010–11 spending plans and in doing so, vivified the right of his party. But is this decision sensible?

Columnist Jenni Russell, on the Politics Weekly panel today, tells us not – at least for Cameron. Instead it makes matters rather better for Labour. Why? Jenni thinks Labour now have a vision for the future – offering people hope – whereas the Tories (who, she says, for years sold themselves as the party of optimism) are now the party of the great depression.

We also take a look at green politics. There have been briefings this week that the Conservative party may abandon its commitment to green taxes. The Guardian's chief leader writer, Julian Glover, can't confirm the reports either way but agrees it looks like there's been a change of tone at the top on green issues. "It's sad, because they are throwing away a lot of what Cameron did at the start, which was good," he says.

And the BNP's membership list has been leaked, much to the anger of its activists. The Observer's senior economic analyst, Bill Keegan, takes the opportunity to remind us that economic tensions may be as bad as they were in the 1930s. "In the 30s there was a swing to the right – we shouldn't be too complacent now."